What a whirlwind!

Wow! We have had an incredibly whirlwind week...I am certainly glad to finally have some time to sit and catch up on things, including my blog. LOL

Firstly, our trip to Regina went well. Dianne is recovering from a few procedures to help her get better so she can have the surgery she has been waiting for for so long. Thank goodness! We had some important visiting time with her and my sister-in-law, who had been in Regina since last Friday. And I was glad for the opportunity to show them that I support them every step of the way.

We also had some time to sit and visit with a wonderful friend of mine and her husband. (Hi KJ & Aaron!) And we took the kids to the Science Center too -- a nice little getaway for them. I am just so grateful that things are looking up for my mother-in-law. I hate to see how much she has to go through. Multiple Sclerosis is a horribly difficult disease. I've been saying little prayers for a long time for those who live with it.

When we came back on Thursday night, I found the Just Cre8 June kit waiting for me. Woohoo! The box was stuffed full of lovely scrapbooking goodies, including the April & May kit pieces I had ordered. The June kit...SO COOL! It has.........I can't tell you yet! LOL You will have to wait until the reveal at Just Cre8 on May 15th. ;) It will be worth it! Oh, and they are having a National Scrapbook Day crop on Friday, May 4 with awesome contests and prizes. You have to come check it out. We are having a Poker Run. Yes, a Poker Run -- scrapbook style. :) You can find the details of the crop, including the Poker Run, right here at Just Cre8.

On Friday, I went to the Hawaiian Spring Fling at Just Scrap It in Saskatoon. I had 20 hours of cropping time with my scrapping friends -- we missed my mom Janet, though. The "Bad Girls' Corner" just wasn't the same without her. :( I did 4 layouts on the weekend. Here are a couple for you:

These were both "cre8ed" using the Just Cre8 kits, April and May. I just love the stamps from the April kit. Those barcodes are way too addictive!

At the crop, I also won one of the BIG raffle draws...a do-it-yourself acrylic stamp making kit. I'd never seen or heard of one of these before. Well, I played with the kit today and it is way too cool! You design your own artwork, and it takes about 20 minutes to make an acrylic stamp. Seriously! I love it!

I also won one of the layout contests..."Extraordinary Moments". I entered one of my most heartfelt layouts, "Papa's Patch". It looks like this:

It is the story of how much my grandfather's raspberry patch meant to me when I was growing up. When he passed away 6 years ago, the raspberry patch was left untended and this very special place that I shared with my papa quickly disappeared beneath the thistles that choked out the bushes. When I returned to the farm last summer, the thistles were taller than me and so thick we could barely see through them. I thought they were gone forever. And then we saw a raspberry peeking through the thick thorns of the thistles. And then another. And another! My mom, my aunt, and I pushed our way through the mess and, for the last time, we picked buckets and buckets of raspberries. And the taste of those sweet, juicy berries reminded me that my memories of Papa in his raspberry patch will always be with me.

What a week. There was more...but I will save those thoughts for another day. Perhaps tomorrow. Until then...

Take care, sweet dreams, and please, hug someone special. Each day you spend with them is truly a blessing. ((hugs to my mom today...love you, mom))